Wheeled skis



Nov. 15, 1966 H. L.WELCH 3,

WHEELED SKIS Filed May 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.!

Nov. 15, 1966 H. L. WELCH 3,285,618

WHEELED SKIS Filed May 13, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EN TOR.

United States Patent Ofitice 3,285,618 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 3,285,618 WHEELED SKIS Herman L. Welch, 1929 N. New Hampshire Ave., Los Angeles, Calif. Filed May 13, 1964, Ser. No. 366,998 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-1111) This invention relates to that class of vehicles that are Worn in pairs upon the feet such as ice skates, roller skates and snow skis. As the movements of the legs and feet required to operate these devices are more nearly analogous to those employed to operate snow skis than any other devices in the same class I have named them Wheeled skis and will use that name in the singular sense, in the following specification.

The device may be described, in general terms, as a treadle hinged upon a wheeled frame and having means to translate the reciprocating motion of the treadle in a vertical plane, into an intermittent rotating impulse applied to one or more of the vehicle wheels.

In walking a person supports the weight of the body on one foot while the other foot is being moved forward; the toes of the advancing foot are elevated and the heel depressed during this movement; at the end of the stride the heel is first planted and the weight of the body shifted to it from the other foot, then as the body advances its weight is transferred from the heel to the sole and, at the end of the stride, to the ball and toes of the supporting foot.

It is the object of this invention to utilize a part of the energy in supporting the body to propel the vehicle forward and thus increase the speed of walking.

This object is attained by the use of the device hereinafter described in the specification and illustrated in the drawings.

FIGURE I is a schematic view in perspective of the vehicle. FIGURE II is vertical sectional view of the device and is intended to show more clearly the relative positions of the essential elements of the propulsion system. FIGURE III, is a view in perspective showing the method of assembling certain elements of the propulsion system.

The essential elements of the propulsion system are the treadle, the cable, the derrick, the revolving reversible drum the clutch and means for reversing the rotation of the drum.

As shown in FIGURE I, the vehicle consists of a frame having horizontal elements 1, 1, and upright elements 2, 2, supporting a shaft at their upper ends. These upright elements will hereinafter be referred to as a derrick. The frame is mounted on wheels 3, 3, a treadle 4 is hinged to the frame at point 5, permitting the treadle to swing in a vertical plane. A revolving drum 6, mounted on axle 7, can be rotated either forward or backward; a cable 8 is attached to the toe of the treadle and is carried upward over sheave 9 in the head of the derrick, thence downward and coiled several turns around the revolving drum and fastened to the end of arm 10 which is pivoted in the head of the derrick. A spring 11, keeps the arm in a state of tension at all times and holds the cable tightly around the drum. When the toe of the treadle is pressed downward the cable tends to unwind from about the periphery of the drum and to spin the drum in a forward direction. When the treadle toe rises the arm 10 actuated by the spring rotates the drum in a backward direction. During the power cycle one end of the cable is unwound from about the drum while the other end is recoiled about it. The number of cable coils about the drum remains the same at all times. The reversible, reciprocating action of the drum in co-ordination with the cable is essential to the operation of the device but means other than cables may be used to actuate the drum such as chains, or trains of geared wheels to convey the force from the treadle.

Means for transmitting the intermittent power impulse from the drum to the drive wheels of the vehicle are also essential. This may be accomplished by the use of various types of clutches, one of which is shown in FIGURES I, II, and III. It consists of flanges 13, attached to the ends of the drum, detents or notches cut in the perimeter of the flanges; pawls 14 installed on the hubs of the drive wheelsthe pawls are fashioned and positioned on the hubs to engage the detents in the drum flanges when the drum moves in a forward direction and to disengage themselves when the drum is reversed. The free ends of the pawls are held in light tension against the rims of the drum flanges by coil springs 12 mounted on the hubs of the drive Wheels to ensure connections of the pawls and detents in the flanges during the power cycle.

FIGURE III shows in greater detail the reciprocating and clutch elements. The rotating drum is indicated by the numeral 6 and the notched flanges 13, are secured to the drum by welding or other means. Corresponding flanges may be secured to the opposite end of the drum to cooperate with the other corresponding elements of the propulsion system to drive the opposite vehicle wheel. The axle of the vehicle wheel is indicated by numeral 7 and the vehicle wheel by 3; pawl 14 is shown as in the position of contact with a notch of the flange which will be its position during the power cycle in the operation of the vehicle. During the recovery cycle the pawl will be disengaged by the slanted notch of the flange as the drum rotates in a backward direction.

The transportation device described in the foregoing specification is one of a pair designed to be worn on the feet. The corresponding unit is identical in structure with the one described. Specification, drawings and claim are intended to refer to and relate to each of the pair. In using the wheeled ski the wearer performs the act of walking which results in a downward thrust on the treadle at the end of each stride which is transformed by the cable drum and clutch into a rotating force applied to the drive wheels of the vehicle.

Different types of frames, clutches and other parts may be adapted to the propulsion system which provides means for changing the direction of force created by the downward thrust of the toe of the treadle into a rotating force applied to the wheels of the vehicle.

I claim:

A vehicle, designed to be worn upon the foot as one of a pair, consisting of a frame having horizontal elements supported by wheels; upright elements constituting a derrick supporting a sheave axle, in combination with a propulsion system comprised of a treadle hinged to the frame; a freely rotating drum, mounted on an axle in the frame; a clutch attached to the drum and adapted to intermittently engage the frame wheels; an arm, pivoted in the derrick head and held in tension by a spring and a cable, coiled around the periphery of the drum with one end thereof attached to the end of the tension arm and the opposite end attached to the toe of the treadle over the sheave in the derrick head.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,154,510 9/1915 Harrell 280-l1.11

1,308,377 7/1919 Sherwood 280-251 1,653,889 12/1927 Clark 280221 FOREIGN PATENTS 855,400 11/ 1960 Great Britain.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

